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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631487">After the storm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary'>obviouslyelementary</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>'Detroit: Become Human' collection [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), octopunk media - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Asexual Nines, Chaptered, Cheating, Detroit Evolution, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Octopunk Media, Romance, after canon, after fanom, after-detroit evolution, allosexual gavin, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:47:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"So... what happened while you were in that... coma of yours?"</p><p>Nines stared up at the wall and then his head slowly made a turn to look at Gavin, who was mindlessly eating his ordered fast food, playing with it between every other bite. Nines' head tilted slightly and he stared for a second, until Gavin's eyes met his own.</p><p>"Why the sudden curiosity? It has been a week" he answered, but Gavin simply rolled his eyes and looked at him with that annoyed look he usually portraited.</p><p>"If you don't wanna tell me just say so tin can"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chris Miller (Detroit: Become Human)/Original Female Character(s), Tina Chen/Original Female Character(s), Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>'Detroit: Become Human' collection [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1047977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>65</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>226</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Felt Good</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"So... what happened while you were in that... coma of yours?"</p><p>Nines stared up at the wall and then his head slowly made a turn to look at Gavin, who was mindlessly eating his ordered fast food, playing with it between every other bite. Nines' head tilted slightly and he stared for a second, until Gavin's eyes met his own.</p><p>"Why the sudden curiosity? It has been a week" he answered, but Gavin simply rolled his eyes and looked at him with that annoyed look he usually portraited.</p><p>"If you don't wanna tell me just say so tin can" he said, rolling his eyes, and Nines couldn't help the smile that curled on his face. Gavin saw it and looked at him even more annoyed, even slightly angry, and Nines had to suppress a chuckle. "What?"</p><p>"Nothing. Sorry. Well I went to my headspace, and I couldn't get out. Ava was there with me, or rather a copy of her files, telling me how now she would be able to become what she was always meant to be. I couldn't reach her, and I couldn't wake up due to the malfunctions. When you came and talked to me, your... representation showed up with me at my headspace and he... you... told me to erase everything. Then I would be able to come back. And he was right" he said, and Gavin frowned before shaking his head.</p><p>"That wasn't me, that was you... right? Also you have a version of me in your head?" he asked, confused and a little amused, and Nines nodded, looking away for a moment. He was lucky he couldn't blush.</p><p>"Well yes I do... in fact I did. You helped me focus while I was there and I could also... give life to my fantasies" he admitted, his voice soft and quiet. It felt a bit too personal to share that with real life Gavin, but then again, Gavin had shared so much with him these past days that he couldn't bring himself to hide anything anymore. When he looked back at his partner, he was smirking and his eyes were glistening with malice.</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"No" Nines reprimanded, his LED turning yellow with embarrassment. But it was too late, and Gavin leaned over the table, letting his fingers jump on Nines' hand up his arm.</p><p>"You fantasized about me did you?" he asked, his voice in a teasing tone, and Nines narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Stop."</p><p>"I bet I'm so hot inside your head. How many times did you kiss me in your mind before we actually did it?"</p><p>"Gavin."</p><p>"Can you have sex in your headspace? Can you make yourself a dick?"</p><p>"Gavin Reed that's enough!" Nines said, loudly, his LED turning red with embarrassment since he couldn't blush, and Gavin let out a loud laugh as he leaned away. Nines softened up immediately, he really loved seeing Gavin happy. After a fit of chuckles and giggles, Gavin looked at him again with an amused smile on his face. "What is so funny, if I may know?"</p><p>"Nothing" Gavin shrugged, going back to his food, but the smile remained. "I just thought I was the only one that's all."</p><p>That was so casual and honest that Nines swore he could feel his cheeks heating up, even though they didn't because they physically couldn't. He looked down at the iPad he was holding, checking over a few cases, or rather pretending to, because now he couldn't focus on anything besides Gavin. Honestly, that was the usual.</p><p>"So... what happened to the me inside your head?" Gavin asked after a moment of silence, and Nines furrowed his eyebrows slightly before sighing.</p><p>"I erased him. Like I erased my headspace and Ava with it. Now I... have to build it again" he said softly, quietly, and Gavin looked at him a little concerned.</p><p>"Are you going to build everything again from scratch?"</p><p>Nines sighed loudly and placed the pad down, looking up at Gavin again and giving him a soft smile.</p><p>"I will... but different this time. The garden was set up by Cyberlife, and thus, now that it is all erased, I believe it would be more fitting to make it a place I truly enjoy. As me."</p><p>"And what about the me in your head? Will you make him again?"</p><p>"I had the image of you in my head because it helped me focus and feel more at ease" Nines said, tilting his head again. "Now that I have the real you, I have no need for a fiction of you. No, he won't be back. Now it will be only me inside my head, and if I ever need your assistance or your comfort, I will come to you."</p><p>"Good to know. I didn't want to compete with a hotter, smarter and probably better version of myself" Gavin chuckled, eating some more, and Nines simply smiled and shook his head slowly. "So... what are you going to transform your garden in?"</p><p>"Well... my version of you told me, and I quote, to make it into 'a theme park damn it'" Nines said, and Gavin let out a chuckle with his mouth full. "But I believe I will make it into your apartment. It is where I feel more at peace right now. I just might tweak a few things. Such as lighting, amount of plants... your apartment is way too dull."</p><p>"Ouch" Gavin chuckled and looked at Nines. "Don't worry, you can buy me some plants. I just praise the darkness of my room during the early morning."</p><p>"Sure" Nines smiled and went back to the cases at hand. They became quiet after that, with Gavin finishing his dinner and washing the dishes, before walking to Nines and standing in front of him. When he looked up to ask what he wanted, Gavin leaned down and kissed him, and Nines swore he would never grow used to it. He lifted his hand, placing it on Gavin's cheek, his skin already retracting without his command as their lips moved in slow sync, feeling each other, testing the waters of their new found affection towards one another. It felt good, to be able to do what he only dreamt of before. And as they broke apart, Gavin pulled away and walked away, as if it was nothing but a casual, usual pat of shoulders.</p><p>"I'm gonna shower."</p><p>Nines watched him walk away and his pump seemed to go faster. He touched his lips gently, still feeling the warmth of Gavin's, and closed his eyes as a feeling of inner peace came over him.</p><p>It felt really good, to love someone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sleep Tight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The days that went by after the whole Ava incident felt slow paced and bland. For the whole week they had to go through the bureaucracy of finding the culprit and not catching it, since Fowler quickly saw through their lie and ended up giving Gavin another warning (although nothing would come out of it, as usual), and even more cases to 'compensate' their failure. That meant nonstop work for at least a week, and after that week went by, Fowler told them never to let a culprit go again and set them off to their usual schedule. Neither Gavin nor Nines put Tina or Chris into the mess, so they wouldn't suffer with the whole scheme, and while the two were thankful they also felt a bit bad. So when their overwork week ended, they called the two of them for a night out for drinks.</p><p>"Guys really I can't thank you enough" Chris said, for the tenth time in a roll, and Gavin rolled his eyes, staring at him with daggers.</p><p>"Chris I swear to god if you thank me one more fucking time I will tell Fowler you were in it" he said, and Chris shook his head quickly while Tina chuckled. Nines held back his chuckle, simply smiling and following the three humans towards the bar. It still felt slightly weird, to walk in a human bar without hesitance, because even if some people still didn't like androids, most of them seemed to be fine with their presence. And being together with three humans, Nines blended in very well. Still, he wasn't one hundred percent comfortable yet.</p><p>"So have you two decided what the hell you're gonna label yourselves?" Tina asked as they sat down, and Nines pulled his attention back to the conversation while Gavin shrugged lightly.</p><p>"I don't wanna give names. You know what they say: if you name it, you get attached to it" he said, winking at her, but Nines frowned at that. When Gavin turned to look at him, he saw his confusion and sighed. "It's a joke Nines..."</p><p>"I... know. However Gavin is right, we haven't labelled our relationship just yet. For now we continue to be partners, just in and out of the office" he said, and Chris hummed as Gavin rose his glass.</p><p>"Couldn't have put it in any better way" he said, and Tina smirked at them, tilting her head.</p><p>"Fine fine. But you know what is unfair? Chris' curious nature allowed him to see you two smooch, however I, the best friend of one of the parts, have not seen the happening yet" she wiggled her eyebrows, and Gavin rolled his eyes. Chris frowned confused and then gasped.</p><p>"Yes kiss!"</p><p>"No way" Gavin said, drinking some more of his beer, while Nines looked between their friends and Gavin.</p><p>"Why not?" Nines asked, and he groaned, looking over at him.</p><p>"Because I don't want to Nines" he answered, grumpy as always, and Nines frowned lightly before looking back at Tina, confused and honestly a bit frustrated. Tina pouted at Gavin, who showed her the finger, and soon their little snacks arrived, together with Nines' blue water. No matter how much the bar said it was thirium, he knew it wasn't. However, drinking water didn't affect anything so he drank it.</p><p>"Anyway, how were your cases this week? I saw Fowler dumped a bunch of stuff on you guys' back" Chris said, drinking down on his soda with rum, and Gavin sighed loud and clear.</p><p>"He did. He's such an ass" he mumbled, drinking his beer and looking around. "He wanted to make us pay for letting Ava escape. He knows we did it on propose. I can't lie to that guy."</p><p>"He knows you too well" Tina agreed, grabbing some potatoes and stuffing them in her mouth with a happy sigh. "God I love trashy bar food."</p><p>"Hey Nines, wanna try it?" Chris asked, always polite, and Nines smiled lightly while shaking his head.</p><p>"No thank you" he said politely, and Chris whined softly but began eating anyway. The talk was light and filled with useless topics, but it felt nice to have friends apart from the mandatory ones, like Hank and Conner, or Markus. Honestly, Nines didn't fit too well with his android companions, so he much rather befriend Gavin's friends. And seeing his partner relaxed, enjoying some drinks and snacks, without the constant frown on his face, was way more pleasurable than any android conversation or activity.</p><p>"And what now? What's our next big case?" Tina asked, and Chris chuckled.</p><p>"Man I can't wait until you turn detective and we all get a case together" he said, excited, and she nodded.</p><p>"Tell me about it. I've been dreaming about cases for the whole week we have been working normally again."</p><p>"You can always assist us if you'd like. New ideas are always welcomed and besides, you have a good way of detecting things" Nines said, always politely, and Tina gave him a smile that was a bit unlike her, but nice nevertheless.</p><p>"Thanks. I sure will."</p><p>While the conversation continued, Nines noticed that Gavin was awfully quiet. Not that he wasn't always quiet when bars were involved, he wasn't a big fan of crowds or loud spaces, but he sure felt a bit off that night. Nines hoped he was just tired after that whole week of work and no fun, but something else seemed to be bothering the detective, and Nines wanted to find out what.</p><p>He partook in Tina and Chris' conversations, adding points and answering questions, like friends would do. He felt like a real human sometimes, when he was around the people he liked. And every now and then, when the talk would die and they would just drink and eat for a while, Nines slid his hand over Gavin's thigh looking for his hand, and received a squeeze in return that always calmed him down.</p><p>Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe Gavin was just in the mood to be quiet. It was hard to know, as much as Gavin was great at showing when he was mad or frustrated or upset, he also knew very well when to hide something. And Nines didn't want to scan him anymore, he wanted them to talk.</p><p>The evening eventually ended and after many glasses of alcoholic drinks, Gavin was a little bit looser. Nines insisted that they all got a cab, and called three, one for each, and made sure Chris and Tina were safe inside their own cabs before he helped Gavin inside theirs and told the car their address.</p><p>His LED turned yellow at that. Their address? It wasn't theirs... it was Gavin's. Sure, he had been sleeping over for a week, and there was a silent agreement that if he wanted, he could stay, but none of that meant it was his apartment too. And that thought made him self-conscious and even worst, insecure.</p><p>"Nines, why is your little lighty-light yellow?" Gavin asked suddenly, his voice slightly slurred from the drinks, and Nines moved his head fast to his direction, in a movement that would leave any human dizzy. But he wasn't human.</p><p>"No reason. I am only processing some data. We will be in your apartment shortly, will you need any help?" he asked, softly, because he liked being polite and asking if he could stay over. That was how he asked. Gavin rolled his eyes and moved closer to him, climbing on Nines' lap and making his pump go faster and his LED turn red. "Gavin... what are you doing?"</p><p>"Shutting you up" he answered, slurred, dragged out, and wrapped his arms around Nines' neck, leaning in and kissing him. A kiss that didn't quite feel like their last kisses. No, it was quite faster, and wetter, and Nines answered because any kiss from Gavin was what he thought human heaven felt like, his hands drifting to Gavin's waist, pulling him closer, moving his lips and opening his mouth to allow the human to slide his tongue inside, warm and wet, strange and so alluring, a new feeling like many others Gavin made him feel.</p><p>His LED turned from red to yellow, and remained that way, because the kiss was different and new and he needed to process the feeling as he responded, imitating Gavin's movements, feeling his hands playing with the hair on his nape, Gavin's nose bumping and rubbing against his own, their chests pressed together. It was a kiss they hadn't shared yet, and Nines felt both impressed and taken back by it. He was hesitant, because he wasn't stupid. He was everything but stupid. He knew what most kisses like those lead to.</p><p>But this one would lead to disappointment.</p><p>They broke off because Gavin, as every human, needed to breathe. He sighed and pressed their foreheads together, rubbing their noses against each other, and Nines just watched him with soft eyes, LED on yellow, hands secure on Gavin's waist. Sometimes he did act too much like a cat, and it was adorable, Nines concluded. And when Gavin's eyes opened, he was calm and relaxed.</p><p>"Gavin?" Nines whispered, softly, and leaned into Gavin's hand as he lifted it up and brushed some hair off Nines' face. His hand slid down to the android's cheek and stopped, thumb making slow, circular motions on his skin, before he lowered it down to his shoulder and closed his eyes again.</p><p>"I'm tired" he whispered, letting his head fall and rest on Nines' shoulder. He held Gavin close and let his body relax, and it did, curling up against the android as he rested. Nines felt better, calmer with Gavin like that, and held him close the whole trip back to the apartment. When they arrived, Gavin insisted in walking, so they made their way up and immediately Gavin walked to the couch and laid down. Maybe Fowler had overworked him. Maybe he was just tired.</p><p>Nines watched him for a moment, before very slowly making his way to the couch and gently picking Gavin up. He complained for a second, very quietly, and then fell asleep on Nines' arms, way before he had time to place Gavin on his bed. Then, Nines climbed on the bed next to him, and gently pulled him closer, kissing his forehead and letting him fall asleep.</p><p>He even closed his eyes, to pretend that he could sleep too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you guys for the notes! I was able to update today but I don't know if I will be able to tomorrow. I hope I do though! Please keep the kudos and comments coming! They help me stay motivated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Kisses are the best medicine</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cases were back, as usual. Now that their week of extra work was done, routine seemed to be back to usual, apart from a few minor changes. Apart from Nines and Gavin arriving at the same time now, since they basically shared a house, and being slightly more affectionate with each other during work hours, everything seemed to be finally back to normal.</p><p>Which, honestly, didn't settle well with Nines as much as he thought it would.</p><p>Being an android, he was very aware of rules during work hours. Besides being, well, partners, Gavin and he were still partners in the detective sense of the word, and that meant focusing on cases, serial killers, accidents, and so on, and not demonstrating affection around coworkers and acting as if they were alone. However, being a deviant, and most important, being able to watch other people, Nines was very aware that some forms of physical touching were silently allowed by the officers at the station, and not only that, but usually favored over the usual 'pat in the back' or 'nod' that someone would get from a simple work partner.</p><p>However, Gavin seemed even more distant than before they had something while they were on the office. And that didn't sit well with Nines.</p><p>True, it had been only two weeks since they first kissed. Since Ada almost corrupted him beyond the fixing point, since they had allowed themselves to be more open about their feelings towards each other. And yes, Nines was aware that Gavin did not have a good past with relationships, whether romantic or platonic, which lead him to be closed off and sometimes cold when in reality he wanted to be close and affectionate. But still, it didn't sit well with Nines at all, when he would bring Gavin's coffee as he usually did, and he would get a scorn and a huff instead of a tease or a smirk. Or even when he touched his shoulder to give him some information or request space to see the computer screen, and would get a shove or Gavin would retract entirely rather than lean on the touch or snort at it.</p><p>Gavin had changed for the worst in a way when they were around people, and Nines was beginning to feel quite... insecure because of it.</p><p>After three days of work receiving that type of treatment, Nines was in such distress that even Tina and Chris noticed. During a break, while Nines silently made coffee for Gavin despite knowing he would get a complaint for doing so, Tina and Chris approached him and pretended to be talking, as usual. They were watching Nines closely though, but he didn't notice. He was so worried about Gavin, about having done something wrong, that he LED turned from blue to red straight away as he couldn't pretend like everything was just fine anymore.</p><p>"Nines? Nines"</p><p>Upon hearing his name, Nines blinked and turned his head towards the voice in a static and quick movement that was very inhuman. Tina and Chris were looking at him worriedly, and he frowned, unsure why they were staring at him like that.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Nines, your LED is red" Chris said, pointing to it, and Nines furrowed his eyebrows before unconsciously reaching up to cover it with his hand, looking away. What good did that do, when he was built not to show any emotion and convey his feelings, and yet this little light connected to his brain just made apparent for everyone that saw it how distressed he truly was? He had a sudden urge to grab the nearest knife and take it off, but he collected himself and let out a sigh, the red turning into yellow.</p><p>"I was just... processing some data from a difficult case that's all" he said, turning around to finish the coffee, but Tina simply raised her eyebrow.</p><p>"Is that difficult case called Gavin Reed?" she asked, and Nines couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.</p><p>"Does it matter?"</p><p>"Of course it does! Dude!" Chris walked to him and patted his shoulder lightly, making Nines look at him. "Come on, you're our friend! Our buddy! You can talk to us when something is wrong, you don't have to pretend like you're fine!"</p><p>"Yeah Nines. What's up?" Tina asked, leaning against the counter and sipping on her own coffee. Nines looked between the two of them, feeling lucky to have such good human friends, before he let out a soft sigh and looking up at the ceiling.</p><p>"Gavin... is acting strange" he said, quietly, and looked back at them. "Before we kissed he acted... well normal. He teased me, made fun of me, allowed me to touch him and make him coffee... but now everything I do seems to cause a negative reaction from him and I don't understand what changed. If anything, from what I know, we were supposed to grow closer... but during work hours he shifts away from me and stays as far as he possibly can. I don't know what I am doing wrong."</p><p>Tina and Chris shared a glance that seemed to hold so many words, before they looked back at him and Tina walked forward, placing a hand on Nines' shoulder.</p><p>"Listen up buddy. All you said would be right if you were with someone normal. A normal person would like to be touched more often, have their partner give them food or drinks, and act normal, or even better, flirtier and more affectionate towards their partner during work hours. That is what a normal person would want. Gavin Reed, however, is-"</p><p>"Is not normal?" Nines finished, and she looked at him with a small smile and a nod. But that didn't satisfy him at all. "Then what should I do? Act cold? Distant?"</p><p>"Well I can't tell you what to do because... I've never been in your shoes. I never dated Gavin. But what I do know is that despite all this charm, he does like you Nines. No matter how far he wants to stay during work, he likes you."</p><p>"If I am being honest, as reassuring as that sounds, it doesn't help me at all" Nines said, and Tina seemed surprised with his answer. Chris even gave a soft chuckle. "But thank you. I'm going to take this coffee to him and go back to work."</p><p>Nines took the mug and walked away from his friends, with somewhat of a cleared mind, but no resolution or peace in his core. As he got to his and Gavin's office, he placed the mug in front of him and didn't get a glance or a chuckle, nothing, and his LED turned red again as he walked to his own desk and sat down. He was so frustrated he was beginning to feel sad, and that wasn't something he usually felt. He was lucky that androids like him couldn’t cry, or else he wouldn't be able to help himself.</p><p>"Did you find something on the river case?" Gavin asked suddenly, and Nines shifted his screen to his notes on that case, shaking his head.</p><p>"No I didn't. I was more focused on the alleyway case from yesterday. Do you want me to look the river case over?" he asked, emotionless, and after a moment of silence, he looked up to see Gavin staring at him.</p><p>"Your LED is red."</p><p>Fuck.</p><p>"So what?" Nines asked with an angry tone on his voice, one that left Gavin slightly surprised. "I can't turn it off but I can take it out if it is annoying you, detective Reed."</p><p>They stayed silent for a moment, before Gavin sighed and stood up, placing the mug of coffee he was holding down on the desk and nodding towards the door.</p><p>"Come on. I gotta talk to you."</p><p>Nines furrowed his eyebrows in frustration but stood up anyway, walking after Gavin through the station. They made their way to the back door, that lead to the parking lot, and Gavin reached inside his coat for a pack of cigarettes and his lighter, lighting one up and taking a long drag. Nines stared at him even angrier than before, standing next to Gavin as he blew the smoke out to the side. After a long moment of silence, Nines felt even more agitated.</p><p>"Did you just call me here so I could watch you lifting your chances of acquiring lung cancer?" he asked, angrily, and Gavin looked at him before chuckling softly and taking another drag.</p><p>"Nope" he said, blowing off the smoke and smirking at him. "But you will have to wait until this one is finished so you get to know what I really want."</p><p>For the creator, Gavin was insufferable. He was the worst, he was so annoying, he made Nines so angry and so frustrated, with his knowing smirk and the way he loved to kill himself slowly with his stupid addictions such as coffee and not sleeping and smoking, and it made Nines feel so angry, specially because he didn't feel angry, he just felt like he wanted to destroy everything that could hurt Gavin in any way, shape or form, and it annoyed him so much that he couldn't do anything but watch as Gavin wasted away his life on such stupid, careless things. It drove him mad.</p><p>But he couldn't do anything about it, so he just stood there, watching Gavin smoke, in dead silence.</p><p>When Gavin finished his smoke, he threw the rest of the cigar on the floor and smashed it with his foot, before blowing off the last smoke. Then, he walked away from Nines, towards a small turn in the station wall, and Nines followed him confused, standing in front of him as Gavin leaned against it and looked up.</p><p>"Come closer please" he said, his voice calm, unlike Gavin usually was, and Nines stepped closer, looking down at him. When he did, Gavin reached up, fixing Nines' collar in a way so similar to what his headspace Gavin used to do, that he almost lost his breath. His LED turned from red to yellow, and Gavin pulled him down by the shirt, leaning up the last centimeters so that their mouths pressed together in a gentle, soft kiss that left Nines speechless.</p><p>His LED turned from yellow to blue in a second, and his hands found their way to Gavin's face, holding it gently as Gavin's moved down to his waist and pulled him closer, gently, while their lips moved slowly and in sync, making all Nines' worries disappear in thin air, as if they had never existed in the first place.</p><p>And when they broke apart, their foreheads pressing gently against each other, Gavin was smiling, and Nines felt his pump skip a beat, even if that was impossible. Maybe he was just overthinking everything. Nevertheless, a kiss was always a good medicine for his worries.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You guys!!!!!!!!!! I can't thank you enough for the support! Yes, this is becoming a chaptered fanfic, and I hope you guys stick to it! There will be a lot of angst, a lot of love, and a lot of funny stuff! Please keep the coomments and kudos coming, they make my day!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Date</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was requested as a tumblr prompt but I feel like it would fit well as a fourth chapter anyway!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>"Have you guys ever gone to an actual date before?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You have been together for almost two months now, how come you never went to a date?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What will be your monthniversary date?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What's your favorite date?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"How do androids behave on dates?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did you take him to your favorite restaurant on your first date?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"How was the date?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Date date date date datedatedatedatedatedatedatedate-</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"...avin? Gavin? Tin can to meat sack, are you there?" Nines said, waving his hand in front of Gavin's eyes, until he blinked and looked over at the android, who surely seemed concerned. "Did you find a way of making a zen garden inside your head or did you drift off that hard?"</p><p>"Fuck you" Gavin said, rolling his eyes and turning his head towards the pad again. "You're not the only one that gets lost in their own head alright? We process stuff too."</p><p>"I do know that, however you are not one to get lost in your thoughts" Nines said, tilting his head in that (<strike>adorable)</strike> curious way of his. Gavin shrugged it off and swiped to the next case, while Nines kept staring. "What were you thinking about?"</p><p>"Can't you scan it?" he asked, and only received a frown and a nudge in response.</p><p>"I can't and even if I could I wouldn't. Didn’t we agree we would talk instead of use our skills against each other?" Nines asked, his voice soft and with a hint of worry that made Gavin feel defensive. It wasn't that he didn't like it. The problem was that he wasn't used to it. "Is it important? Do you want to talk about it later?"</p><p>"It is not important and I don't want to talk about it" Gavin said, turning to look at Nines, whose eyes widened and then gave him a small nod, LED turning yellow.</p><p>"Very well. I will... believe you" he said, hesitantly, since that was their other agreement. Gavin would be honest, and Nines would not push. They were managing for now, even if they did fuck up every now and then. "Do you want to review last week's case?"</p><p>"Um... no not really" Gavin said, stretching out and sighing deeply before reaching for his half full cup of coffee. Half full? Fuck Nines was changing him for better. "I'm gonna grab some more coffee, talk to Tina. See ya in a bit."</p><p>"Alright" Nines said after a moment of hesitation. He watched Gavin leave and Gavin sighed as soon as he was out of his view, heading into the break room and waving for Tina to come closer. When she noticed, she approached him and gave him a smile.</p><p>"Hey lovebird how's the nest?" she asked, loving to tease him about the whole relationship deal, making him show his middle finger to her and turn to the coffee machine. "Wow someone is in a grumpy mood, what's wrong Romeo?"</p><p>Gavin stayed quiet and so did she, waiting, until the coffee machine eventually stopped spilling coffee out in his mug and he looked at her.</p><p>"Don't you dare laugh" he said, and before she could promise, he continue. "Nines and I have never been to a date."</p><p>"... And?" she asked, after a moment, and he groaned loudly, putting his mug down.</p><p>"Everyone keeps asking me about it! How many dates we have been, where did I take him to our first date, where our monthniversary date will be, how he acts on a date... fuck" he pushed his hair back, and it fell all over his face again. "I have no fucking idea what to do and also, what the hell are monthniversaries?!"</p><p>"They are... your month anniversaries Gavin" she said, and he groaned, making Tina chuckle. "Dude, why are you overthinking this? You and Nines aren't even official yet, what's the big deal?"</p><p>Gavin looked at her, slowly, his eyes surely hiding something, and a wide grin grew on Tina's face that made him groan and look down.</p><p>"You want to make it official!"</p><p>"Shut up!" he groaned, covering her mouth and then sighing. "I... I want to take him to a date but... fuck I don't know where! He is an android, he doesn't eat, so I can't take him to a restaurant! And he knows everything there is to know about everything so museums or national parks are a no-no either! Where the fuck do I take an android?"</p><p>"Gavin come on, a date isn't about the place, it's about who you're with. And knowing Nines, even if you take him to a dirty alleyway, if you hold his hand, he won't stop talking about it for a month" she said, tilting her head. "He likes you man. You shouldn't be so worried about it."</p><p>"Tina... you know me... I always screw things up" he said, looking down at his mug and sighing. "I don't want to fuck up this too..."</p><p>"You won't" she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and smiling when he looked up at her. "Wherever you go, he will love it. Believe me. He's crazy for you."</p><p>Gavin let out a loud sigh and nodded, giving her a small smile. She smiled back and punched his shoulder lightly before she walked away, back to her post. Gavin stayed though, drinking some of his coffee, staring at the wall and thinking, thinking, thinking as hard as he could. He really wanted it to be special.</p><p> </p><p>------------------------</p><p> </p><p>After their shift ended, Gavin grabbed his coat and his phone and stood up from his chair, followed by Nines, who silently walked next to him out of their office towards the outside of the station. They headed over to Gavin's car and hopped in, putting on a seatbelt as Gavin drove off, taking the usual route home. Usually they were silently during the car ride home, and this time was no different.</p><p>"Mind if we stop at the market to buy some food?" Gavin asked, suddenly, trying to sound as usual as possible. As if he just wanted to go to the market to buy food. What he just said he wanted to do. Fuck he was making himself nervous and Nines could catch that from a mile radius.</p><p>"I bought all the food you required through the internet, as you asked me to do. Do you need something else?" Nines asked, always polished and calm as he was. Gavin held back a sigh and the urge to ditch the whole thing.</p><p>"Yes I do. I'm going to go there okay? Don't... come out with me and don't scan it" he said, dryly, almost angrily, and when he looked at Nines his LED was yellow and he looked slightly distressed. Great now he was upsetting the plastic. Fuck not plastic. Shit!</p><p>"Very well" Nines answered, looking back to the road in silence. Gavin hated when he did that, it was so fucking clear that something was wrong. He didn't ask on it, because it was his own fault and he knew it, so he just went to the market and parked the car.</p><p>"I won't be long" he said, walking out and heading to the store. Nines didn't follow him, and when he returned he didn't even glance at the plastic bags. He was stoic and still inside the car, and only when Gavin hopped in he turned to face him.</p><p>"Are we going to your apartment now?" he asked, somewhat petulant, and Gavin sighed.</p><p>"You wouldn't be so angry if you knew what I was doing" he said, driving off, and he could feel Nines rolling his eyes next to him.</p><p>"I would know if you told me, Gavin."</p><p>"Well at least you did what I asked so that's a good start" he said, smirking to himself and looking over at Nines for a moment. "When we get to the flat, I'm gonna need that you stay inside my bedroom until I call you out. I promise it won't be long."</p><p>Nines furrowed his eyebrows and frowned as well, confused and a bit frustrated, but nothing that would damage their evening. After a moment of silence Nines sighed and nodded in agreement, looking out of the window as he did when he didn't understand something. Which was good. Gavin wanted to make sure everything was at least decent before Nines understood anything.</p><p>Once they arrived, he told Nines to go ahead and gave him the keys, saying he would be up shortly. Nines left, confused and bothered, but luckily polite enough to respect Gavin's commands. When he got up with the bags, Nines was nowhere to be found, and his bedroom door was closed shut. Good. That way, he would be able to fix everything up.</p><p>"Come on Gavin, this isn't your first time..." he whispered nervously to himself as he settled everything on the counter. Well, it surely wasn't his first time, but it had been ages since the last, and everything with Nines felt... more important. Which was hard but also easier, for some reason. Tina's words kept echoing in his head though: 'he will love anything you do', or something like that. He knew the sentiment. But he didn't want Nines to love it because it was him. He wanted him to love it because it was good.</p><p>Well, as good as Gavin could make it, that was.</p><p>He did his best. He pushed the furniture aside, opened a wide space on the living room, opened the windows and the balcony doors, put down the blanket and lit up the candles, served the glasses, opened the sandwiches, turned off the lights, and there it was. A inside, lame, all bought and improvised picnic.</p><p>God, now that he had everything settled, that idea seemed ridiculous and stupid. But he had to commit.</p><p>"Nines?" he called, sitting down on the ground. "You can come out!"</p><p>After a moment of silence and hesitation, one that Gavin felt ripping at his core, the door opened and Nines slowly stepped out. He took a moment to adjust, looking around the room and then focusing his eyes on the picnic set in front of him. After a minute, he looked over at Gavin, eyes confused and LED yellow, taking small and slow steps towards the blanket.</p><p>"What... is this?" he asked, quietly, sitting down in front of Gavin, on the other side of the food, and Gavin sighed deeply, shrugging to himself.</p><p>"It is a date. Our... first date, to be exact" he said, tilting his head, and Nines' eyes widened. "I mean... it is what I could come up with..."</p><p>"It's perfect" Nines whispered, his eyes glistening with a shine that Gavin had never seen before. His LED turned blue, and he smiled, happy, honest and filled with life. "Thank you, Gavin..."</p><p>"Um... enjoy?" he asked awkwardly, handing Nines his thririum drink in the fancy wine glass. "Happy first date."</p><p>Nines placed the glass down, and leaned over the food using his hands as support, until he could hold Gavin's neck and pull him forward so their lips touched. The kiss was slow, light and just a press of lips, but it was enough to make Gavin's heart squeeze and warm up. When they pulled back, Nines looked like a child on Christmas morning.</p><p>"Thank you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Malfunctions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Honestly these should be more considered small one shots rather than a chaptered story but then again that's pretty much the same stuff. Thank you guys for reading it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Days, weeks, months passed by, as they usually did, at the same pace, with the same routines, schedules, interventions, happenings, all as it should be. However, Nines now understood what humans meant when they said time passed way too fast. Despite it passing in the same velocity every single day, ones spirit, ones mood, ones activities, could make the same time feel long and dragged, or quick and precise. More often than not, Nines realized, activities one enjoyed and took pleasure out of tended to make time seem to pass faster, while chores and annoying obligations seemed to make time pass slower. There were so many peculiarities, to being human, to being alive, and he still felt overwhelmed sometimes, as he learned them over and over again. It seemed to be endless, what he could learn as a deviant, even more endless than what he could learn with his programming. It was insane, to be alive, sometimes.</p><p>Sometimes, he just wanted to turn his deviancy off and see everything through logical, cold eyes of an android.</p><p>"Nines... Nines! Come on, get out!"</p><p>He looked around in panic as his vision seemed to blur out at the edges. His systems warned him that he was under stress, close to heating up, his processors doing all they could to take in the information that was given. He didn't know what was happening, he couldn't process it, he couldn't leave to his headspace and even worst, he felt the world shrinking around him despite knowing how illogical and nonsensical that was. It only made him feel even worst, shutting his eyes but still seeing the warning messages against his eyelids, knowing very well there was no way to escape the god damned signals of failures from his system.</p><p>There was a loud ringing in his auditory system, as if it was malfunctioning, but every scan he ran told him they were fine. His pump seemed to beat harder and out of rhythm, despite all functions saying it was normal, and his internal implements seemed to turn on themselves and make him feel sick, despite that being absolutely impossible to any android in existence. They did not have a stomach. They did not need food. There was nothing to absorb. Why did he feel like he was going to throw up? He couldn't physically throw up!</p><p>WHAT WAS HAPPENING?!</p><p>Suddenly he heard a loud noise, like something heavy had fallen down, and his eyes opened as his head shot up to look at the possible danger, reaching for anything that could be around him so he could attack his offender immediately. However, he found nothing, and an even louder noise started ringing in his ears as a message appeared in his vision, a large red DANGER sign, right in front of whatever the attacker was. It wasn't until whatever it was kneeled in front of him, and he felt warm hands on his cheeks, gently tapping them with fingers, that he stopped feeling so alarmed. The ringing was still loud and the WARNING message was still there, but he could listen a faint voice in the background, bringing him back to reality.</p><p>"... nes... Nines... Nines... Nines. Nines. Nines! Fuck talk to me Nines!" he heard, the voice getting louder over the ringing, the blur settling down to make his vision clearer, until he could see over the message in front of his eyes the face of someone he recognized. He saw Gavin in front of him, holding his face, worried with his eyebrows furrowed, and Nines felt his systems coming down to still heightened but more stable levels, the ringing coming down to an annoying but not overbearing sound, the warning message going down to the corner of his vision instead of blocking it completely, his body seeming to stop trembling as Gavin held his face, caressed his cheek and stared at him with worry and concern. "Nines, answer me god damned it!"</p><p>"Gavin..." he whispered, his voice failing him just a bit, and Gavin let out a loud, relieved sigh, pulling him for a hug. The warmth of his arms around Nines made his system begin to settle, his eyes closing to relax as his head rested on Gavin's shoulder, his breathing steading up with his partners. After a moment of silence, Nines did what usually calmed him down, scanning Gavin in silence, his arms going up to hold the detective's jacket. 78% water, last mean eaten eight hours ago, nicotine levels low, caffeine levels high, germs level below worrisome, sleep schedule slightly disorganized, scent... citrus... "You are using the perfume Tina gave you for your birthday..."</p><p>"You are fucking scanning me?!"</p><p>Nines couldn't help but smile as Gavin pulled away, holding his shoulder, looking angry but still concerned. He sighed when he saw Nines' smile, and shook his head, before slowly helping him to stand up.</p><p>"Come on Tin Can. We are going home early."</p><p>Nines didn't even try to counter his decision.</p><p> </p><p>-------------------------------</p><p> </p><p>When they got to Gavin's apartment, they had been quiet for over an hour, which wasn't usual for them. Nines' system had turned back to normal during the middle of the way home, but his LED was still yellow as he was trying to scan himself, to find the response to his sudden malfunctions. When all systems and parts came clean, he tried to look for a more programming cause and effect, until they were inside Gavin's house, where he was taken to the couch and sat down.</p><p>He looked up at Gavin confused, opening his mouth to talk, but Gavin shushed him with a finger on his lips.</p><p>"Don't. Just be quiet and sit there."</p><p>Nines immediately shut his mouth and stayed quiet and seated, as commanded, watching Gavin as he walked to the kitchen. As he did, his cat came over to greet Nines with his usual rub of cheeks against his leg, and Nines gently picked the cat up, placing him on his lap and petting his head and scratching his chin, as he liked. He meowed, purring quietly and lifting his tail as high as he could, before he jumped off Nines' lap and headed to the kitchen to greet his owner. Then, after a few minutes, Gavin came back with two mugs and handed one to Nines as he sat down next to him.</p><p>Nines looked down, scanning the drink, and found himself surprised when he learned that was chamomile tea and not thririum or water. Not a drop of sugar or sweetener either. And most impressive of all, Gavin's drink was the exact same.</p><p>"So..." Gavin said, suddenly, and Nines looked up at his face, watching as he awkwardly shifted his glance from the wall to Nines and to his tea, over and over again, in no particular order "I'm not good with this... but I think we have to talk."</p><p>Nines' system immediately spiked up again, his LED turning yellow again, and Gavin noticed, groaning to himself and holding Nines' leg gently.</p><p>"No no it's nothing bad don't... don't freak out it's nothing... ugh I'm terrible at this" he said, sighing and recollecting himself. "We have to talk about what just happened. At the station."</p><p>Oh.</p><p>"I don't know what happened" Nines said, simply and honestly, and Gavin gave him an incredulous look.</p><p>"Don't you know everything? About everything?"</p><p>"I thought I did but... I cannot tell you what happened. I do not know what was that. Apart from obviously a malfunction, however I found all my vital components in order... nothing was out of place and yet my system acted as if I was wounded or in danger of shutting down."</p><p>"Okay. That's mostly known in the human world as anxiety, or a panic attack" Gavin said, frowning softly, and Nines looked at him again, confused.</p><p>"Yes, these symptoms in humans tend to mean a panic attack or an anxiety disorder. However, it is not supposed to happen in androids. It has happened before, but they were categorized as deviancy malfunctions, and usually occurred when deviants were in a stressful situation such as being chased, questioned or likewise occasions. I was not under any type of stress."</p><p>"Well you weren't, but your body sure thought you were" Gavin said, raising his eyebrow. "I mean... are you sure you don't know why you reacted like that?"</p><p>Nines gave Gavin a frown, since he seemed to know more than he was letting on, and closed his eyes to redo his steps so he could find a reason for his reaction, as Gavin clearly already knew.</p><p>
  <em>They were questioning a suspect. An android, who had killed a family of humans in revenge. They found proof that he was the one, however they were all substantial and the suspect had an alibi. So Nines was called over to scan and probe him, since that was still allowed due to android rights being still loose and in process of being accepted. So, he arrived at the interrogation room, scanned the suspect, and once he did not collaborate, he reached for his hand and probed him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>But the suspect refused. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the probe started, the suspect tried to stop it. With it, the malfunctions began to occur, their data mixing up and getting corrupted, warnings showing for both of them at the same time. The suspect screamed in pain, as Nines wasn't able to continue with the probing, and as soon as he disconnected, the errors began and he ran. He wasn't sure where, but he ran, until he was inside a closed dark room where he sat down and held himself tight. He checked for any corrupted data and found none, and yet he could feel the despair and fear crawling through his circuits as if he had been the one being probed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And then, Gavin came in. </em>
</p><p>When Nines opened his eyes again, Gavin raised an eyebrow at him, tilting his head as if to say 'figured it out?'. And he did, blinking slowly and looking down at his tea.</p><p>"So... You believe I was traumatized by having my data corrupted... and trying to probe an unwilling android made my instincts of self-preservation kick in and... made me flee and malfunction?" he asked, softly, looking at Gavin again, and he gave him a smile.</p><p>"Bingo."</p><p>"I... have never heard about trauma affecting androids before" Nines said, honestly, looking at Gavin and feeling quite lost, but Gavin just held his hand and sighed softly, looking at his face with his eyes gentle.</p><p>"You know a fucking hell lot about androids Nines, but you don't know a lot about being alive. Welcome to another lesson. This was the first of many, you can bet on it."</p><p>Nines furrowed his eyebrows as Gavin shrugged, and then sighed softly, tangling their fingers together as his skin retracted (like it always did around Gavin).</p><p>"So... you believe I will have malfunctions again? In similar situations?"</p><p>"Until you deal with the trauma, yes. Also don't call it a malfunction, feels weird. Call it by what it is, a panic or anxiety attack."</p><p>"... will you be there to help me?"</p><p>Nines' voice was soft and insecure, and Gavin softened his whole body language as he nodded and moved closer, giving Nines a soft kiss on the lips, just to seal the deal.</p><p>"Yeah tin can. I sure will."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Five Minutes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one is short but sweet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nines didn't 'wake up' as much as he 'stopped resting and analyzing data in his brain and opened his eyes'. He tried to simulate sleep, specially since that seemed to make Gavin more relaxed in the nights they slept next to each other, but ultimately Nines never stopped working, as in he never shut off his system and rested, and thus he could remain in stasis or in low activity mode, but his brain was constantly working, constantly aware of his surroundings. So, in the nights when Gavin accepted (or even requested) his presence during sleeping hours, Nines went to his headspace, allowing his body to simulate sleep to calm his partner.</p><p>Inside his mind, he did many things. He organized his thoughts, redesigned, studied case files, and sometimes he just appreciated the copy of things he did on his own. It wasn't a garden anymore, now his headspace was Gavin's apartment, only with more color, more natural light, and instead of an empty space on the outside, it was more of a house, surrounded all sides by gardens and nature. He enjoyed walking outside and sitting by the lake he imagined, watching the fishes he found most interesting swimming in the shallow waters, or enjoying the shadow of a tree, while birds came and went singing and flapping their wings around him. Nature was one of the things he appreciated most about his deviancy, how he could enjoy it with no meaning or worry. He liked the scent of wet grass, or the feeling of leaves on his hand, the wind on his hair and the cold water on his feet. All mundane, useless gestures that gave his deviancy meaning.</p><p>The only problem with his new headspace was that it was empty, lonely. He had deleted Gavin from it, and while he could rebuild him, he found himself unwilling to do it. He had the real Gavin a blink away, laying down on his arms, breathing softly against his neck, and if he wished so, he could leave his mind behind and come back to the real world. Maybe being alone was good, in a sense. Humans needed alone time to process things, and as he became more human, he found the melancholy of being away from Gavin (at least in a mental level) made him appreciate their moments together even more. And they were never too far apart to calm his worrying mind.</p><p>So Nines used all the time he had from midnight to six am to wonder around his mind. He tweaked a few things, worked on some trees and new species of insects he wanted in his garden, decided on some books he would like to buy just to decorate Gavin's real life living room, and worked on some files without too much stress or attention. When he grew bored and lonely, he settled everything down and left, coming back to reality, around five am, blinking his eyes open and looking up at the ceiling.</p><p>His movements were slow and gentle so he wouldn't awake Gavin, head turning to look down at his partner, finding him curled up against him, head laying on Nines' chest, soft snores coming out with every breath he took, one arm wrapped loosely around his waist, chest rising and falling slowly. The moonlight made its way inside together with the city's busy lights, shining over Gavin's hair, neck and back down until they met the covers over his waist. He was the most beautiful human Nines had ever seen, even more beautiful than all the aesthetically pleasing androids, because he was unique and his personality shone through, even when he was in his deepest sleep.</p><p>Unable to help himself, Nines raised the hand that laid around Gavin and slid his fingers through his hair, feeling its softness, how it slipped through his hand so easily, and then moved his thumb down Gavin's nape, sensing a shift in his breathing for less than a second before he went back to sleep, deep, quiet.</p><p>Some nights, Gavin was reluctant to allow Nines to sleep with him. Sometimes he didn't even let Nines stay over. Every now and then he had nightmares, some that Nines was told about, some he had to find out by himself, and sometimes Nines was there to hold him through them, while other moments Gavin just yelled at him to leave. Most of the nights they slept together, however, were quiet and fast, with Gavin having no problems sleeping the entire night in one go. It was all Nines could ask for, honestly. To see him well rested and less sleep deprived. He even worked better like that, despite complaining that he didn't.</p><p>But Nines knew Gavin's potential, and better yet, he knew how much he believed in him.</p><p>Without noticing, the gentle caresses on Gavin's head made the detective shift in his sleep and wake up, and when he did Nines stared at him worried and feeling guilty, pulling his hand away as he looked down at the man. Gavin yawned, stretched and pressed his face back to Nines' chest before grunting and looking up at him, eyes filled with sleep and even a bit teary.</p><p>"Isit time?" he asked, lazily, and Nines couldn’t help but smile at how adorable Gavin looked. He shook his head and pushed Gavin's hair off his face, feeling his insides warm up when he leaved on the touch.</p><p>"No, you still have one hour to sleep" he said, and Gavin made a quiet sound that was very close to a 'yisssss' before he pushed his face into Nines' chest again and hugged him tighter, immediately falling asleep after that.</p><p>Nines let out a soft chuckle and brushed his hair again, leaving his hand on the side and just watching Gavin as he slept for another hour or so.</p><p>Maybe he would even give him five minutes more.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Loved type of control</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were in the middle of a case when he received a message. Nines lifted his head up from the evidence he was analyzing and walked over to Gavin and Chris, who were talking about the case, requesting some time alone outside. The two of them looked at him utterly confused, since he was never one to simply leave during an investigation, but they assured him they would be fine while he did whatever he was doing outside. On his way out, he passed by Tina, who randomly asked him where he was going, and he stupidly told her he was out to 'get some air', which immediately made him feel embarrassed while she gave him a look at exuded 'what the fuck'. Still, she made no mention of it and allowed him to go out of the perimeter, finding a place where he could be alone and still without anyone finding it strange, and then finally was able to open and read the message.</p><p>
  <em>'Hello Nines. I am utterly hoping I am not bothering you at this time, however as you suggested last time we saw each other, I am sending you this message to require your assistance. It is nothing urgent, however I do need to meet you as soon as possible. Could you send me a time where you would be available to talk? Thank you – Ada'</em>
</p><p>Nines read the message to himself in his head and opened a response file once he was finished, closing his eyes to focus on the writing.</p><p>
  <em>'Hello Ada. It is a great pleasure to hear from you again. I am currently in the middle of an investigation, but I do believe I will have some free time this evening at around eight pm. Where could we meet? – Nines'</em>
</p><p>The answer came back before he could even gather himself to return to the scene.</p><p>
  <em>'Perfect timing, as expected. I am currently located at the docks, close to the old location of the Jericho hide out. There is an empty abandoned container I have made my home in, we could meet here, it is safe. I will send you my location – ADA'</em>
</p><p>With the message, was attached a current location data, and Nines could see the place extremely clear. He made sure that the conversation and location data would not show up to his superiors at the DPD precinct and returned to the crime scene, ignoring the curious glances of his friends and going back to the evidence he had been analyzing earlier.</p><p>----------------</p><p>"Alright Nines so you're really not going to tell us what you left the scene to do?" Chris asked during their lunch break, clearly not being able to withhold himself for longer, and Gavin gave him a little smirk while Tina nodded quickly.</p><p>"Yeah are you just leaving us in the dark?"</p><p>They were all happy and clearly excited, and although Nines was beginning to understand the pleasure of knowing a secret not previously known by anyone else, this was one he could not disclose, even to his closest friends.</p><p>"I am sorry but yes I will have to leave this one in the dark" he said, and their faces all deflated, even Gavin's, who not only seemed to get disappointed but also suspicious. "And more, I will have to leave the station early."</p><p>"What?" Gavin asked, his voice showing also signs of anger out of the sudden. Tina and Chris looked at each other surprised and then back at Nines, clearly confused.</p><p>"You never leave the precinct early man" Chris said, tilting his head, and Tina shifted her glance around everyone at the table, staying a bit too long on Gavin before turning back to Nines.</p><p>"Is there something wrong Nines?" she asked, and he looked at her, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>"No. Everything is perfectly fine."</p><p>Tina and Chris looked at each other again, not convinced, but simply gave him a nod and went back to their lunches. Gavin however kept staring at him, and Nines returned the glance with a calm one, nodding for Gavin to eat and getting him to do so, despite noticeably being forced to. The lunch break continued very silently, an awkwardness in the air that rarely overstayed its welcome on normal occasions. They all tried to start new conversations, but Gavin clearly wasn't having it, so when lunch time finished, Tina and Chris left to their stations, and when Nines stood up, Gavin held him back.</p><p>"No. You are going to sit and talk" he said, firmly, and Nines frowned slightly at how rude he sounded. However he did sit down, and looked at Gavin.</p><p>"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, calmly, and Gavin narrowed his eyes.</p><p>"Are you... you are serious. You're fucking serious" he chuckled dryly and stared at Nines angrily. "Where the fuck are you going later? Who were you talking to? What's going on?"</p><p>Nines blinked slowly, his LED turning yellow as he noticed how out of himself Gavin was. He was honestly angry, and Nines had an idea why, but still he couldn't quite believe it. So, he answered as he usually would.</p><p>"It's none of your business."</p><p>Oh that... was the wrong choice of words.</p><p>"None of my... yeah fuck you" Gavin said standing up and shaking his head as he walked away. Nines stared at him surprised, he wasn't expecting that at all, and when Gavin ran off towards their office, Nines stayed behind and frowned to himself, deciding that no matter how grumpy Gavin was throughout the day, he wasn't going to tell him because he couldn't do that to Ada. So he finished cleaning off their table and went back to the office, working in the cases they had while ignoring Gavin's angriness.</p><p>--------</p><p>When their shift ended, at around six in the afternoon, Nines stood up and grabbed his jacket. Chris, Gavin and Tina were discussing a case, as usual, and when he stood they all went quiet and looked at him.</p><p>"Nines where are you going?" Chris asked, not in a curious manner, just in his usual self way, and Nines looked back at him.</p><p>"I am leaving early as I said. I will see you all tomorrow at the usual time" he said, leaning in to give Gavin a kiss, but he found his partner's head turning away from him at that. Confused but still resolute, he kissed his cheek and then waved to the other two, leaving the office and then the station, heading to the taxi waiting point as he asked for one inside his head.</p><p>He honestly thought no one would follow him, but one thing he had learned in the last year was that humans could be liars and deceivers, so he made sure the taxi took a very convoluted path and stopped far away from the docks. He shut down his location system and walked inside the shipyard, heading to the abandoned container where Ada said she had been living in. As he approached, he noticed some lights coming from some of the containers, and as he passed by he saw families or single people inside those metal crates, surrounded by fires and makeshift equipment. When he arrived to the correct one, he knocked on the container's wall and looked inside, only to find Ada looking down at the fire she had made, then looking up to face him.</p><p>She was pretty much the same Ada as before, but way less pristine and clean. She was dirty, her clothes were new, not in quality but as in he had never seen her wearing those before, but asides from all that she looked the same. A familiar face that didn't bring all good memories.</p><p>She smiled when she saw him, and quickly stood up, walking to the opening of the container and pulling him for a hug. After a moment of hesitation, Nines hugged her back, taking the tension away. They stayed like that for a moment, before pulling away from each other and checking each other's stats.</p><p>"Ada... long time no see" Nines said, softly, a sweet smile on his face that made her chuckle and nod as he came inside. The place was neatly organized but crumpled, filled with trinkets, furniture... everything that fit. She sat on an old chair and offered Nines the couch, which he accepted, sitting down and looking at her. She seemed fine, despite the living conditions, but her smile showed she wasn't too bad on her own.</p><p>"Nines... you have no idea how happy I am that you accepted my invitation" she said, offering him some thririum which he declined. "It has been months since the last time we saw each other..."</p><p>"Yes it has... I am happy you finally contacted me... although if I can be honest, I didn't expect you to be in such low living conditions... are you okay here?" he asked, worried, and she looked around at her container. After a soft sigh, she nodded slowly.</p><p>"I am... however I wouldn't call you here for nothing" she said, and then looked around. "Also why aren't your officer friends with you? I expected them to come too."</p><p>"Oh I didn't... I didn't tell them I was coming here. I didn't know if you wanted anyone else to know of your location so I kept it to myself" Nines said, and Ada gave him a sweet smile.</p><p>"Thank you... even if I wouldn't mind, I appreciate having a talk with you, both of us alone" she said, and then crossed her legs over the chair, tilting her head while she stared at him. "You still haven't taken your LED out... you are... truly special, Nines."</p><p>"I still see no need to" he said, checking her temple to see that her LED was gone. "I understand why you would take it out though. It is easier to blend in with humans when we do. I believe I am in fact the last android to keep their LED now that you removed yours."</p><p>"Incredibly enough, it makes you unique" she said, smiling at him while he looked down, slightly shy. "So... tell me how is everything. The DPD, your partner, your human friends..."</p><p>"Did you call me here to chat?" he asked, looking up at her and then softening up. "I'm sorry if I seem blunt I just... didn't expect you to call me just to discuss our current lives."</p><p>Ada looked at him for a moment before a light chuckle came out, and she nodded, sighing quietly and pushing her hair back.</p><p>"You are right, fair enough. Forgive my mindlessness I just have been turning more and more human every day. Being left to deal with myself and my deviancy taught me a lot, and if I learned one thing is that humans rarely like blunt questions or requests. Even if they insist they do" she said, and then looked up at him again. As much as she was dirty and maybe a bit damaged, she still held that same air of light and logic she did before, but now even more beautiful somehow, showing her true self. "I do require your assistance. For months I have been able to live on my own, quiet, away from the eyes of the DPD and away from trouble. However, I cannot do it anymore. Parts are scarce and expensive, and there isn't work around town for androids like me. No I... I am in need of assistance, but I am also aware that if I request for anyone else I will go to jail. Even Markus wouldn't allow me to live in Jericho after all I've done. So I can only run to you."</p><p>"And I am glad you did so Ada. What exactly do you need?" Nines asked, firmly, and she sighed, looking down at her legs.</p><p>"New parts... and a new life. I can't stand living in the streets anymore. I was... built to learn and adapt, but now all I want is to settle down and try to rebuild myself. I feel like I am doing what I was programmed to do, and I want to learn more about who I am. I know it is unfair to ask that, when so many other people have bigger needs, and aren't in the streets for crimes, but-"</p><p>"Say no more Ada" he whispered, reaching out and taking her hand on his. She looked at him, slightly surprised, and Nines gave her a smile. "I will help. Don't you worry. I will find somewhere for you to start over, new parts, and you can rebuild your life from scratch."</p><p>"Thank you..." she whispered, and leaned in, pulling him for a hug that, this time, was answered immediately. "Thank you RK900... for everything."</p><p>"Thank you for helping me see beyond what I already had" he whispered, and pulled away with a grin.</p><p>-------------</p><p>After they talked for hours, deciding the details and what not of her new life, Nines finally left, allowing her to rest for the night and start their new plan tomorrow. He went home as well, knowing he would probably have to explain himself to his friends one day this week, getting to the building where he lived and being stopped by the guard in front.</p><p>"You have a visit at your apartment" he said, and Nines gave the man a nod before getting inside. He wasn't too worried, no one would allow a stranger inside, so he guessed it was probably Gavin. However Gavin never came to his apartment, so that probably did not mean something good.</p><p>He opened the door, turned on the lights and closed the door behind himself, and Gavin was standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, looking angrily at him. Nines took a moment to take off his jacket and place it on the rack before he turned to Gavin again, tilting his head.</p><p>"Hello Gavin" he said calmly, and Gavin looked at him with even more anger if possible.</p><p>"Hello Gavin? Hello Gavin?! You disappear for hours, you turned off your tracking device, you were secretive about who you were talking to all day long and now you come here with hello Gavin?!" he asked, frustrated and angry, and Nines frowned slightly with his LED turning yellow. Gavin waited for an answer, but Nines just stared at him confused for a long time, before nodding.</p><p>"Yes. Hello Gavin" he repeated, and his partner stared at him with wide eyes and an incredulous look before he sighed and walked back to the couch.</p><p>"I don't know why I came here at all. You're fucking impossible" he said, grabbing his jacket, but when he headed to the door, Nines stood in front of him. "Oh now you want to talk?!"</p><p>"Gavin, I don't understand why you are acting like this" Nines said softly, his voice calm as usual, and Gavin looked at him perplexed.</p><p>"What the fuck do you mean?! Nines you are acting all sketchy and mysterious all day long, you didn't tell anywhere where you were going or who you talked to... what the hell is going on?!"</p><p>"Gavin... why does that matter?"</p><p>"Because-because... because you never do this Nines!" Gavin said, frustrated. "You always tell everyone what's going on, you don't hide shit, you don't act mysterious, you're open and you always want people to know what's happening! Because-"</p><p>"Because I am an android and as my partner you want me to always tell you where I am, with who I'm with and what I am doing?" Nines asked, raising his eyebrow, and Gavin's eyes widened as his mouth opened slightly.</p><p>"N-no I..."</p><p>Nines looked at him calmly, waiting for Gavin to recollect himself, and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, rethinking his actions throughout the day. After a moment of silence, Gavin made a pained face and opened his eyes again, looking at Nines shyly.</p><p>"I'm... a fucking idiot" he whispered, and Nines nodded.</p><p>"Yes you are."</p><p>"I'm... I'm sorry Nines" he said, crossing his arms and sighing as he looked away. "I just... I know I acted like a fucking creep but you never do this. You are always so open, you always make sure I know everything that is going on in your head, I just... sorry."</p><p>"It's fine. I knew that was the reason all along. However you have to remember that just like any other human, I am my own person, and I can do things on my own without having to tell anyone what I am doing. It is hard for me too, but today what I did had nothing to do with me, so I didn't want to compromise this person's information without their consent. That is why I was being secretive" he said softly, and Gavin looked up at him, frowning but quickly relaxing again.</p><p>"Alright... I'm sorry again, for being a controlling asshole... I won't do it again."</p><p>"I know Gavin" Nines said, smiling and nodding at him. "I know."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guys I really wanna make this a chaptered fanfic but I would like some support, if you want to give some. Kudos and comments are overly appreciated.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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